I Tried 5 Top-Rated Long-Wear Lipsticks — & This One Didn’t Budge

As much as we love lipstick, it's safe to say that wearing it is a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. Without it, your makeup look is just incomplete, but with it, you're checking the mirror every half an hour to make sure it's still there. Most likely, it's not.

Long-wear lipstick formulas are supposed to solve this problem. But, being the skeptic that I am, I've often wondered: How long is long-wear? And will I have to compromise comfortability for lasting power?

Well, I decided to put five top-rated, long-wear lipsticks to the test to see how they hold up through an entire day. These formulas claim to be smudge-proof, waterproof, kiss-proof, and sweat-proof — and reviewers tend to agree. I made sure to drink plenty of coffee (and a few margaritas) to really see how they'd hold up during the last days of a humid summer. See how each of the lipsticks did, ahead.